One Last Chance
by Keiko Noriko
Summary: This is my take on what happened at the end of the Fall episode in the revival. Spoilers, obviously. And Literati.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, there you are," she said with a soft smile as she patted his shoulder to catch his attention. The corner of his mouth turned up before he even turned around to look at her face.

"Here I am," he replied closing his book and pulling the chair next to him for her sit, which she promptly did.

"You know, it's kind of a tradition for the best man and the maid of honor to share a dance," she said suggestively, cocking her head.

"Never figured you were the traditional type, Rory Gilmore. I'm surprised," he answered with a light chuckle.

"Well, I'm a woman of many surprises," she smiled again, this time standing up and offering her hand.

"I can't argue with that," he looked at her hand for a few seconds before finally taking it. She gave him a light pull and led them closer to the gazebo. Most of the party was over now, with some of the guests even helping with the cleanup.

She wrapped her hands around his neck, which caused him to tense up a bit. He licked his lower lip and bit it before relaxing and placing his hands around her waist. He started to swing lightly to the rythm of the song.

"I want to thank you for the idea of the book, Jess."

"You don't need to thank me, you'd have thought about it yourself eventually."

"Maybe, but you got me there more quickly," she insisted. He didn't answer. "It feels like you're always the one to put me back on track."

"Good thing that I'm still around, then," he said with a short chuckle.

"Yeah, definitely," she nodded with a genuine smile. "I'm sorry we haven't been so in touch lately."

"Yeah, me too," he agreed. He looked into her eyes again. He could see her mouth slightly open, and as she looked back, she bit her lower lip.

He closed his eyes and pulled her closer. He felt her soft lips and warm breath in his own mouth. She didn't pull away. Instead, she ran her fingers through his hair and his chest.

"I'm glad this part still works," he said as they pulled apart for some air, but just like when he first said that, his smile was met with a look of concern. He furrowed his brow. "Rory, I-"

"Jess, I'm pregnant," she interrupted him. He closed his mouth and breathed heavily. "I'm sorry..." she said as her eyes started to burn.

"For what?"

"You're hurt," she explained.

"No, I'm just..." he trailed off. He looked down on them and noticed his hands were still on her hip, he pushed her lightly, just to break the contact and crossed his arms "well, yeah..."

"This isn't how this was supposed to be..." she said, more to herself than to him. She crossed her arms as well and lowered her head.

"And what was that?"

"Well, for starters, I should tell the father."

"Okay..."

"I should, right?" she said, widening her eyes. "Even if I have already decided I'm not getting back together with him."

"I wouldn't know," he shrugged. "But I guess that means you've broken up with P."

"Who?" she asked confused.

"When I met you at the Stars Hollow Gazette you wrote 'break up with P' in a post-it note," he explained.

"Oh... Yes, I did. But it isn't his..." she confessed.

"Huh"

"It's... uh... it's Logan's..." she bit her lower lip.

"Huh"

"I'm really sorry..." she said, feeling ready to cry again.

"Please, stop apologizing," he replied.

"I'm not..." she corrected. He looked up. "I'm just saying that I wish things were different."

"Yeah, me too," he cleared his throat. She was looking down, but he could see her shoulders shaking, her hand in her mouth and her heavy breathing. "Come here," he said, defeated. He placed a hand on her lower back and she rested her head on his shoulder.

* * *

 **A.N.: As they've said "haven't done that for a while..." wow... I guess this fic is kind of an obvious choice, considering how everyone is hyped about the revival. Some upset, some angry, some thrilled. I'm over the moon. Even though it didn't tie all loose ends - and why should it? Our story is only over when we're gone. I feel so happy that ASP could show us what she had intended for the show all along, I don't think it could be better any other way. But that's just my opinion, anyway. And I wanted to continue the story from my point of view. I think the last episode made it very clear what was coming next and I wanted to be the one to tell. I hope you enjoy it. This will probably not be a very long story. Three or four chapters, but I'd love to read your thoughts and opinions on it. It feels good to be back! I didn't have a beta, so if you spot any terrible mistakes, feel free to point them out.**


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a little over three years since that day. If he had to be completely honest, what had prompted him to finally come this time was the fact that Doula herself had called him and requested his presence. He had prepared himself for what was coming. In those three years he and Rory had had very little contact. Some Christmas e-mails, a "congratulations" message on each one's reprint and "Happy Birthday" texts followed by a "let's keep in touch" that always fell through.

He had mixed feelings about that, but he figured that a dinner with the whole family – Luke, Liz, TJ, Doula, Lorelai, Rory and Ricky, not April, because she was busy with her master's degree in Ireland – was long overdue. He stood outside his mother's house for a few seconds, taking it all in, before ringing the doorbell.

"Liz, it's the door!" He heard TJ yelling from inside the house.

"So go open and see who it is!" Liz shouted back.

"I'm busy!" TJ said. And suddenly Jess felt like he was in an early season of The Big Bang Theory.

"Doing what?" Liz asked.

"What?" TJ asked, but no one answer. "Ask Doula to get it!"

"Doula, get the door!" Liz shouted. But as soon as she said that the door opened to reveal the girl, looking impatient.

"Well, that's a nice and warm welcome," he mocked. Her eyes widened as she saw him. She let out a little squeal before going in for a hug. He chuckled at her reaction.

"Oh, hey, Jess. What are you doing here?" TJ asked as he took his hand and shook it, even though Jess hadn't given it for him to shake.

"I've come for the Christmas dinner. Didn't Liz tell you?" He asked with a frown.

"Oh, no. She did. I just didn't think you'd actually come," he shrugged. "Come on in."

"Thanks. So, should I sleep on the couch?" he asked, looking around and seeing all that many couches in the living room.

"Sure. Make yourself at home. We're leaving at seven, don't be late," the older man said, trying very hard to sound weirdly fatherly.

"Jess, do you want to see my frog collection?" Doula asked after her father had left the room.

"Didn't you used to have an insects' collection?" He asked confused.

"I did... but then one day I left the window open and a frog came in and ate it, so..." she trailed off, shrugging.

"Smart girl," he smirked.

They ended up arriving an hour and a half later. The frogs had escaped and it took some time to convince Doula to start a new collection, one that preferably didn't move. But eventually Jess could convince her that stamps were just as interesting as frogs, he even started her collection by removing a stamp from a Christmas letter and giving it to her. She got so happy she decided to take the stamp to the dinner, which meant that by the end of the night she would probably have to start another collection.

Luke was the one to invited them all in.

"How _old_ is this dog?" Jess asked completely surprised once he saw Doula petting Paul Anka.

"We'd have to cut him and count the rings," Luke replied as he gently pulled Jess away from the crowd, who was now greeting Lorelai. "Hello, Jess. Good to see you," Luke said greeting his nephew with a hug. "So, how's everything?" he asked.

But Jess' attention had already drifted away to the hallway, which was still crowded with his family and Lorelai.

"She's not here yet," Luke commented. "She texted earlier, said she's stuck in traffic."

"I was just wondering if I could go wash my hands, they're blocking the bathroom door," Jess explained. Luke raised his eyebrows. "We were hunting frogs..."

"Do I want to know?" Luke asked, still skeptical but not surprised. Jess shook his head negatively and Luke led the way.

"Hi, Jess," Lorelai greeted with a smile.

"Hello, Auntie," Jess replied mockingly. Lorelai immediately frowned and put her hands on her ears.

"Oh my God! Don't ever say that again," she said dramatically.

"I'll try," he smirked and she smiled back before he entered the bathroom.

When he came out they were all sitting in the living room. Lorelai handed him a beer and he took a seat next to his uncle. Liz and TJ had been trying to tell Luke and Lorelai a story about what had happened in the latest renaissance fair, but they kept interrupting each other and couldn't agree on the details while Jess was listening to Doula tell an equally confusing story about what had happened in her last day of class when the doorbell rang. Jess maintained his focus on his sister, especially as he noticed his uncle was looking at him, trying to catch his reaction.

Lorelai opened the door and revealed her daughter, looking perfectly fine even though she had just come out of a plane and a small blond boy in her arms. She smiled excitedly as she saw everybody in the living room and went around the place to greet them all, stopping at Jess.

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming," she commented with a genuine smile.

"I wasn't so sure myself either," he shrugged and smirked. "I see you've got an annex now" he commented, looking at the boy.

"Oh, Yes. Ricky, this is Luke's nephew, Jess. He's a friend of mommy's," she said with a gentle smile, looking into her son's eyes and then back at Jess.

Ricky gave Jess a short smile, but as Jess smiled back the little boy felt embarrassed and buried his face on Rory's neck.

"Sorry, he get really shy sometimes..." Rory smiled uncomfortably, Jess simply smirked and waved it off. "Hun," she said, trying to make the boy look at her again. "why don't you go play with Doula for a while?" The kid nodded excitedly and she put him on the floor. They watched him walking clumsly to the girl. "How's everything, Jess?" she said, turning back to him.

"Everything is fine. I've moved back to New York. Truncheon got sold, I'm working for the company that bought it, actually."

"Ah, I know. Luke told me last time I was here. I've been living in California, I'm writing a column for the Sun Sentinel."

"Very John Grogan," he commented as they both started to walk to the kitchen.

"That's what my mom said. It's a little cheesy, but I like it."

"You seem to. Your column is really good. I've read it," Jess nodded.

"You have?" her eyes widened and she blushed a little. "Thanks, it isn't what I had planned, but it's fun to be a journalist again."

She took the chair between her mother and Ricky's high chair while he sat between Ricky and Doula. Having Doula monopolize his attention for most of the dinner and overhearing Lorelai mention Logan from time to time after dinner made him feel overwhelmed. He was crazy about his sister, and Rory didn't sound hopeful or excited at all about her ex, but he still felt like he needed some quiet time once dinner was over.

Rory had been watching Ricky play with blocks in the TV room when she spotted Jess on the porch through the window. He was resting against the fence in the porch and taking a drag of a cigarette. She grabbed her coat and decided to go outside.

"I thought you had quit smoking," she said softly as she stopped by his side. He grinned as he heard her voice.

"I did," he confirmed and took another drag.

"Nice disguise," she said, harsher than she had intended. He looked puzzled at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like I was busting you."

"Don't worry,it didn't," he chuckled.

"Being a mom is hard," she commented. "Sometimes I find myself using my mom-voice in completely random scenarios. Once, I was leaving for work and I saw this really old man crossing the street and I actually told him to look at both sides. His look was pretty much the same as yours, and he called me a punk."

"You seem to be handling it really well."

"Ricky makes it easier. He's so amazing," she added, unable to restrain her smile.

"Yeah, he's a really nice kid," Jess nodded. He looked at her as they fell silent, she was staring into the darkness. "What's going on?" he nudged her softly. She looked at him, almost surprised to see him still standing there.

"I'm moving to New York after new year," she announced. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but didn't say anything. "Condé Nast called me two days ago, they liked my book and my column and they actually want to hire me full-time for The New Yorker."

"Oh, wow. Congratulations," he commended her.

"Thanks. I'm really excited," she nodded. "And, actually, my first topic is about the contemporary up-and-coming authors of New York," she explained, turning around to face him better.

"That's a good topic."

"I want you to be in it," she bit her lower lip.

"Why?" he asked nonplused.

"First, for obvious reasons, people know you and your work, and the unlucky ones who don't, could have a chance now. But mostly, I just felt it was a good opportunity to thank you," she explained. He breathed heavily and took a few seconds before finally answering her with a nod. She grinned and put her hands together excitedly. "Thanks, Jess. I'll call you as soon as I arrive to New York to set a date. I'll let you smoke in peace now."

She turned around to enter the house again, but not without one last look at him over her shoulder, the grin still in her face, and all he could do was smile back. He looked down at his cigarette before throwing it out.

* * *

 **A.N.: So, here's the second chapter for you all. Thank you so much for all the positive response. You guys are amazing! I'm going to take the time to reply to all of you. Meanwhile, I'm pleased to announce I've already finished writing everything, it will definitely be four chapters long and the last two will be coming in the next few days. I'm also planning to soon post my Jess-fic "The Girls That He Liked". Coming back as a writer and especially to this fandom has been an amazing experience, and your support makes it all even better.**


	3. Chapter 3

She had asked him to choose the time and location, so he picked a coffee shop a few blocks away from her place and from his own. They were living relatively close to each other, which sounded more coincidental than it really was, considering he had helped her decide on the apartment and with the move itself. But to be fair, so did Luke, Brian and Zach. TJ would have helped as well if he hadn't suffered a fake injury as soon as he tried to lift the first piece of furniture – a side table. All this had taken place just three days before.

Now, his plan was to get there half an hour earlier than they had arranged so he could feel more comfortable when meeting her alone, but before he could even go for the café's door he saw her sitting at a table near the window. She had a cup of coffee on the side while her laptop was opened in front of her, it seemed she was reading something. His first instinct was to discreetly walk away and find somewhere else to be for the remaining minutes. It wouldn't be hard to find a bookstore to kill time, but before he could put his plan to action she looked up and saw him. She opened a smile and waved at him. He decided to go in.

"Hi. You're early," she greeted. Showing him the chair to sit.

"I could say the same," he replied as he sat on the chair in front of her.

"Yeah... I had to leave Ricky in Stars Hollow with mom, but I got here earlier than I anticipated, so I decided to just start working on other details of the article while I waited," she explained. "What's your excuse?"

"Oh yeah, me too," he deadpanned. She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Part of her wanted to mock him for his evasive ways, but she decided to let it slide.

"So, I've been googling you," she said instead.

"Anything interesting?"

"Nothing. I actually found no information about you. Even your Wikipedia Page only has the books you've written and your date of birth. Which is wrong, by the way," she said looking at the computer again.

"It is?" he asked faking surprise.

"Jess! You put it wrong yourself, didn't you?" his answer was a simple shrug. "But why?"

"My work is relevant. My star sign is not."

"You're a regular JD Salinger," she said rolling her eyes playfully. "Hey, do you want to order before we start?" She asked already calling the waiter. He asked for a coke and a bagel while she ordered a refill.

She opened her bag and reached for a pencil and notepad. She also set her phone to record the conversation after asking for his permission. "Would you say there was a particular moment in your life that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?" She asked, reading from her notepad.

"Liz's wedding," he said after some consideration.

"Really? Why?"

"I had spent nineteen year seeing her make mistakes time after time, even putting our lives at risk and being careless about pretty much anything. But when I saw her making an effort to put herself on track and do something of her life, I figured I could as well," he finished his sentence staring at the coke in front of him. He could feel her looking at him, it felt as if she pitied him and it made him uncomfortable. But he knew she would be too polite to say anything.

"Do you feel New York is home to you?" She asked clearing her throat and going back to her notes.

"God, no. I know I've spent most of my life here, but it's mostly for convenience than love for the city."

"Okay... Is there any other place you would like to live now?"

"No, either. Maybe, if things change, but I like what I have here lately," he answered honestly. New York was far from being his favorite place in the world. Actually, he didn't know if he even had a favorite place, but he was really satisfied with the things that he had accomplished which had led him back to the city. Writing his books, even selling Truncheon for a larger publishing company, getting a higher position in the company, these were all important to him and he felt proud of how hard he had worked for each of them.

"Do you have any advices for people who want to become writers?"

"Start writing," he said, thinking of ways to explain his opinion. "You don't need to be published to be a writer. So, write whatever feels right and honest for you. Don't try to be the next John Green or whoever is big at the moment, because that position is already taken. Your writing will get much better once you find your own style."

Rory couldn't help a smile. But she still refrained from commenting on his answer.

"Okay. One last question. Are there any contemporary authors you recommend?"

"Rory."

"Yeah?"

"That's my recommendation," he said with a chuckle.

"Jess, I can't put myself in the article. It will sound like shameless self-promotion," she said with vehemence, but a smile could be seen in the corners of her mouth and her cheeks started to feel warmer.

"I'm just being honest," he shrugged innocently.

"Can't you think of anyone else?"

He thought about it for a while. "There's this woman. Jesmyn Ward. She's not exactly unknown, but I think her work deserves more recognition than it has. Especially since her last book."

"Do you have it?" She asked as she looked for the spelling of the writer on her laptop.

Yeah... why?" He furrowed his brow confused.

"To lend me. Duh," she said, her eyes still on the laptop.

"Duh?" He asked amused. She moved her eyes back to him. "Sorry, I hadn't realized this question was off the record," he explained laughing. "Sure. I can lend it to you whenever you want."

"Thanks," she smiled, then looked back at her notepad. "I think we're finished," she announced proudly as she stopped the recording in her phone.

"Alright," Jess replied. "I can walk you back home," he offered.

"Oh, you don't need to," she said as she shook her head. "My car is parked right outside, I'm going to spend the evening in Stars Hollow." He made a sound in understanding. "But I don't need to be back in at least three hours..." she added. She saw a smirk in his lips and felt a little glad he appeared to not want their meeting to end so fast.

"Let's go," he said standing up.

"Where?" She asked, more out of excitement than protest.

"You'll see," he said cryptically.

"Jess, I'm the one who's driving," she observed. But still stood up, putting the money on the table and placing her laptop in her bag.

"So I should really remember to give you instructions," he replied as they both walked out the table. She was surprised about how excited she felt.

They didn't drive for very long. Maybe only eight or ten minutes until he asked her to pull over. She parked the car. There didn't seem to be many things there to do, it was mostly a business area and the only places open were a drugstore and a small bar with dim lights on.

"It's a bar," she commented.

"Well done, Poirot," he replied.

"Not Sherlock?" She looked at him with eyebrows raised.

"Nah, too mainstream," he shook his head. "Plus, Agatha Christie is better."

"I can't argue with that," she agreed with a smile. "So, couldn't you have just said we were going to a bar?"

"Do you remember my friends Matthew and Chris from Philly?" He asked and she took a few seconds to try to remember the time she had been to Truncheon. It didn't take very long to hit her.

"They finally got their bar?" She asked surprised.

"Chris did. Matthew moved to California to work in the subsidiary there. But Chris never liked this whole big-company idea, so he decided to follow me here and start a new small business of his own."

"That's so cool," she commented.

"Yeah, it is." He agreed. "It's recently become a reference for many up-and-coming writers in the area to meet..." before he could properly finish his sentence she had already unfastened her seat belt and left the car. He followed her just a little behind, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

He found her a few seconds later looking around the place completely dazzled.

"Jess, good to see you again," Chris said, greeting him with a hug.

"You too," he said hugging the man back.

"I know you," Chris said looking at Rory. She gave him a shy wave. "It's Rory, right?"

"Wow, very good memory," she commended.

"Not really, Jess talks about you all the time," he said waving it off. Rory looked at the man who had brought her there. He avoided her gaze.

"We'll just sit at the counter. We don't want to disturb you," Jess said evasevily while he pushed Rory gently. She took a stool and sat at the counter.

"What do you talk about me?" She asked amused.

"You know, how you're a writer..." he trailed off, thinking of what he was going to say next. He decided to change the subject. "What do you think of the place so far?"

"It's amazing. I love the atmosphere here. I feel like getting a pen and start writing," she replied excitedly, still looking around. "Hey, is that...?" she asked, stopping her gaze at a table where a young man sat alone. Jess nodded. "Can I...?" she stopped mid-sentence again, and he nodded again, following her to the man's table.

Before they knew it, there were ten people trying to fit into a four seater table. Jess couldn't help but admire her joy to sit with all these people who shared the same interest. He remembered the first time he had gone there and felt the exact the same way.

"I can't believe you said that about Hemingway," a man said. "I could stay here for hours just showing how wrong you and your opinion are," he ran his hand through his hair. Rory glanced at Jess, knowing he probably agreed with that man. Jess gave her an I-told-you-so look and she rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well, lucky for me I need to get back soon, so you won't have time for that," she replied stubbornly. But then it hit her that it had been a while since she had last checked the time. "What time is it?" She asked, suddenly agitated. She grabbed her phone and stood up with a start.

"Rory, is everything okay?" Jess asked, noticing the colors suddenly leave her face.

"I should have been in Stars Hollow an hour ago," she explained panicking. "Shoot, I brought you here, I need to take you back to your apartment," she remembered. He stood up as well and placed his hands on her shoulder to try to calm her.

"Go. I'll get a ride with Chris. Or a taxi, or an Uber. Don't worry."

"The check... I need to-"

"It's on me. You can pay me next time," he said reassuringly. "Go."

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said, looking back at him as she walked away.

* * *

 **A.N.: Thank you so much for your support. This is the biggest number of favorites and follows I've ever received, and I get that probably it's because of the circumnstances, but I really want to thank you all for reading this story. It's been such a pleasure to write it and I love how the words seem to come so easily to me. I would also like to announce that I ended up writing one more chapter. So, the next one will not be the last. YAAAY, right?**

 **As usual, feedback is appreciated. If you have a few minutes to spare after you've read my story drop a line or two. I'd love to read your opinions, and if you're a registered member you'll get a response as soon as possible. Thanks for the non-registered members as well for reading it. :) See you all in a few days.**


	4. Chapter 4

"I think he likes it better in cones, too," Rory commented nudging Jess and pointing to the tiny kid sitting by her other side. The man cocked his head to the side to see her son with ice cream all over his face and arms, but grinning with honest and innocent joy. Jess couldn't help a chuckle at the scene. Especially as the boy looked back at him with a wide smile.

"He doesn't have the best aim but at least his taste is good," he agreed glancing at Rory.

"Two things he definitely got from me," she laughed. "I hope he decides to go play in the fountain after this or it will be a nightmare to clean him up." Jess nodded and they sat quietly watching Ricky for a while. "Thanks for doing this, Jess. I'm sure it's not what you had in mind when you called me yesterday."

"I called to take you out and celebrate your article getting published. I never said he wasn't invited. He's part of the package," Jess answered as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"You're kind," she said gratefully. She finished her own ice cream and looked at Ricky to find him finished as well. She took her bag to try to find baby wipes only to sigh a few seconds later frustrated as she remembered she hadn't bought them.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah... I just forgot again to put baby wipes in Ricky's bag..." she said absent-mindedly, still going through the stuff, even though she knew it was fruitless. "I should go to the bathroom and get some paper towels or something..." she thought out loud. She bit her lower lip and looked at Jess hesitantly. "Jess... would you mind...?" She trailed off, moving in place and thinking of what to say next.

"You don't need to be uncomfortable about that," he said reassuringly. "And of course I can watch him, sure," Jess finished her sentence. She still hesitated but he pushed her lightly and she nodded before turning around and going to the bathroom.

Rory rushed a little, but as soon as she was out of sight she took slower steps. She had been feeling really funny in the last few days and at that exact moment she was starting to dangerously overthink it. Jess had been more present in her life than ever. She remembered when she told him she had got pregnant, at her mother's fake wedding and how awkward it felt. After this she was never sure about how to approach him. Especially considering she felt she had broken his heart again.

But he seemed to be over it. They seemed to be over it. She still felt eventually unsure everytime she talked about Ricky, even though she knew that Jess was not the type of person to hold a grudge on a two and a half year-old infant. Nevertheless, she was constantly afraid that mentioning or even being aroung Ricky would bring back bad memories and feelings.

She shook off these thoughts as she continued to walk aimlessly trying to find a bathroom.

She moved to think about how much closer she and Jess were lately. Of course living in the same city just a couple blocks away helped a lot, but it was more than that. He had been so supportive with everything. He didn't mind helping with the move, he didn't mind her bolting when they went to Chris' bar. He didn't mind her calling and changing plans for today because Paris couldn't babysit anymore. In fact, he even said it was a good idea to have him along.

In fact, if she had to be completelly honest, she was even feeling a little frustrated that he still hadn't tried to take a step further in their relationship. Maybe for the first time he was completely over her and was honestly just trying to be a good friend. She wasn't sure why, but she hoped this wasn't the case. Then, she imagined herself telling her mom she had started dating Jess again. She imagined her mother cracking a joke about her being too supportive about the whole environmental-friendly ideals, even recycling her old boyfriends - seriously? Dean, Logan and now Jess? Maybe that other one could still get another chance, if only she remembered his name - and endless jokes about being just like her great-grandmother, marrying inside the family.

And finally she remembered the fact that she had a child with Logan, who wasn't that much involved in Ricky's upbringing, but who made sure to visit his child anytime he came back to the U.S. for a few days. She definitely didn't want Jess to feel insecure about his presence. She decided to stop thinking about this altogether, get the paper towels and head right back to the bench she had left them.

She froze and felt her heart skip a beat when they were back into her sight. Jess was doing one of his infamous magic tricks and her boy looked at him completely mesmerized. She smiled in spite of herself and went closer to them. Ricky was the first to notice her presence.

"Mommy!" He greeted with a squeal. "Did you know Jess is a wizard?" She nodded with a light giggle as she crouched to get at the same height as her son.

"Your mom never cared for my super powers," Jess explained, peaking at her with a smirk.

"You're crazy, mom," Ricky commented and she laughed again.

"How did you learn them anyway?" She asked turning to Jess.

"I thought you had met T.J." Jess responded nonchalantly. "Liz's always got a thing for circus freaks."

"Are you seriously telling me that you learned them from your mother's ex?" She raised her eyebrows skeptically. She glanced at him before turning to her son and taking off the boy's shirt, which was completely soiled in pink.

"One of the few I ever liked," he confirmed as he handed her the clean shirt from the bag.

"How did that end?"

"Circus moved out of town," he shrugged. Rory stood up and Jess copied her. He took the paper towels and put them in the trash while she picked her son up.

The blond boy immediately yawned and rested his head on her chest, completely exhausted. It made her realize how long they had been together. It was getting closer to his nap time, and if she didn't take him to bed soon the boy could get cranky. Jess seemed to notice her conundrum, but wasn't sure of what to say. She suddenly got a determined look on her face.

"Why don't we take this to my place?" She suggested. "I need to put Ricky to sleep, but it's still early and there's no food at home, but I've got Netflix and we could order some take out."

She felt relieved as he agreed in a heartbeat. He felt relieved she had made thhat suggestion, and they started walking back to her apartment, taking turns on holding the boy. Something that felt weirdly familiar, but in a good way.

Rory opened the apartment's door and let Jess choose a movie on TV while she went to the back to give the boy a shower before leaving him to sleep.

He felt awkward just sitting there on the couch, flicking through movie recommendations, some of which made very clear there was a kid in the house, while she was back there doing everything. He was sure that if a feminist passed through that moment he would never hear the end of it, and he agreed. But everytime he offered to do something she waved it off. It was natural for her. To do all these things on her own. But it didn't have to be. He didn't want it to be. So, after some insistence she finally agreed to let him go get a towel and the boy's pajamas.

"What are we watching?" She asked when she finally came back from the kid's room and throwing her weight at the cushion next to Jess.

"Now, remember. Don't be judgmental," Jess started, turning to her while she tried to read the name of the movie. "I wasn't so sure myself at first, but I really think you'll like it."

"Predestination," she read out loud. He nodded and watched her, waiting for her to protest or complain. What she did instead, was to close the gap between them. It definitely took him by surprise, but it didn't take very long for him to get a grip on the situation and start kissing her as well. She pulled apart for air.

"Why didn't you kiss me before?" she asked accusingly. Her breathing was heavy and irregular.

"I wasn't sure I could," he replied honestly. "I wasn't very successul the last few times."

"Ah..." she let out and made a small pout. "I'm sorry, Jess. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you before."

"That's okay. Our timing has always been bad," he answered with a smirk. "But right now I wish we could find a better use for our mouths instead of talking." He completed as he pulled her closer again and she happily followed his lead.

They ended up in her bedroom. She had no idea how that had happened, and he had very little recollection of that as well. But it felt right. It felt long overdue.

It wasn't as if she hadn't been with anyone after Ricky. In fact, some men were even more interested in her once they found out she was a single mother. But of course, for those, the interest was gone as soon as Ricky got in the way. This was different.

It felt like being eighteen again. She couldn't remember the last time there had been this much passion between her and someone else. Well, actually, she did, and now she had a reminder of that time sleeping a few meters away.

It was still different. It wasn't an end. It was a beginning.

She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. This somehow seemed to start a chain reaction that caused the silence to be broken by a loud cry in the room near theirs. They looked at each other. Rory gave him an apologetic look before she put on a nightgown and wrapped a robe around her to go see what had happened. She came back a few minutes later, finding Jess exactly the same way she had left him. He straightened his back as he sat on the bed.

"It was just a bad dream..." she explained, moving closer to him. But he knew there was more by the way she looked at the duvet. "He wants me to watch him sleep..."

"You need me to go," Jess concluded. She felt a little relieved that he said _need_ , instead of _want_. And nodded lightly. "Okay," he said and kissed her forehead before standing up and looking for his clothes.

"This isn't how I wanted this to end..." she muttered as she watched him get dressed.

"Rory, it took us twenty years to finally make it work." He said getting closed to her and looking deep into her eyes. She could feel her cheeks burn as he touched them and leaned over to give her one more kiss. "I'm not giving up that easily." He reassured her. "I'll call you tomorrow, Ava."

* * *

 **A.N.: Sorry this chapter took longer to be posted than the others. I hope it was worth the wait. As I said, this was supposed to be the last chapter, and I like how it ended. But recently I've been rewatching the show and when I got to the last episode of season 5 I just knew I had to add one more, which will be the next and last chapter. But if you're satisfied, you may stop here :) as usual, I'd love to read your feelings and thoughts in the story. Sorry for any mistakes. And I hope to see you again for the last chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

The room was dark and silent. His breath was slow and heavy. It took a few seconds for the buzzing sound and blue light to wake him up. His hand touched the nightstand aimlessly until he hit his cellphone. He dragged it to the bed and checked the screen. The light almost blinding him, but the picture of that woman with electric blue eyes holding a six-year-old boy finally did the trick.

"Hi..." He heard her voice weakly as he picked up. "Did I wake you?" He took the phone out of his ear to check the time. 3:47. "Of course I did... stupid question... I'm sorry. I know you have this important meeting today, and you're not even in the city-"

"Rory, you're rambling. Tell me what's happening," he interrupted her.

"Ricky is sick," her voice cracked. Jess immediately got up the bed. "He's sick and the doctors won't tell me anything. I don't know what to do..."

"Where are you?" He asked, trying to sound as calm as possible. He was glad she couldn't see him jumping off the bed and looking desperately for his clothes.

"I'm in the waiting room..." She answered, thrown by the question.

"Of which hospital? There are one thousand hospitals in the city alone," He got his pants all the way up just to find out they were inside out.

"Brookdale. Why?"

"I'll be there as soon as possible," he explained as he zipped his pants, now on the correct side. "Where's Lorelai?"

"Mom and Luke are on their way," she replied. Soon after that she processed what he had said before. "Jess, you can't come here."

"Why not?" His phone pressed against his right ear as he put on his socks.

"Because you aren't even here in New York. You have a meeting in a few hours. There's no way you can make it back on time."

"Matthew can cover for me. They don't need us both there. Don't worry about this. I'll see you soon," he said firmly. Rory wanted to protest, but instead all she did was thank him. They hung up and he finished tying his shoes before he picked the hotel's phone to call the reception.

He got there as fast as he could. He was cursing the entire way because the earliest flight available was at six in the morning and when he finally arrived in the city it was rush hour. The slower the traffic, the more anxious he got. He didn't try to call Rory again. He figured it would only make her more nervous. Besides, no news is good news, right?

He went to the first person wearing a uniform that he could find in the hospital.

"I'm here for Richard Gilmore, or maybe it's Rory Gilmore, whose name do you usually use when the patient is a minor?" The man looked at Jess with a stern face.

"Why don't you go ask all that over there?" He suggested pointing at the sign that read Reception. Before Jess could thank the man, he disappeared through the hallway. Jess went there but as he leaned over the desk he spotted Luke sitting in the waiting room. The two men hugged briefly.

"Everything is okay," Luke started. The younger man let out a small sigh of relief. "The doctors said it's probably just a virus, a lot of kids are getting it, he's out of danger, but he lost a lot of liquids, so they're rehydrating him now."

Jess nodded in understanding and sat on the chair relieved. His uncle joined him.

"Lorelai and Rory are in there now, you can go in if you want," Luke explained, pointing to the entrance of the rooms.

"What about you?"

"Ah, no. Thanks. I'm fine," the older man said shifting his legs uncomfortably. " I don't want to see the kid in that bed, with a tube..." He trailed off. Jess patted his uncle on the shoulder as he got back up.

"Sir, what's your name?" A voice asked and Jess looked confused for a while. He hadn't noticed the nurse sitting in a chair with a desk and computer in front of her.

"Jess Mariano. I'm here to visit Richard Gilmore."

The woman kept her eyes on the computer.

"And what's your relationship with the patient?" She asked, looking up.

"He's my... uh... I'm... I'm his mother's girlfriend," he said feeling a little pathetic about the label.

"I'm sorry, sir. But we only allow one support individual and visits outside visiting hours are limited to family members and there's already someone inside." She explained canceling his registration.

"Excuse me?"

"It's the hospital's policy," she said impatiently. Probably because she was very used to that reaction.

"This doesn't make any sense. I've known his mother for over twenty years." He insisted, shaking his hands in the air in annoyance.

"Are you his father?" She asked dryly.

"No..."

"Stepfather?"

"Not legally, but-"

"Brother?"

"No..."

"Son?"

"I got it. Thanks," he snapped. "Look, can't you at least let them know I'm here?"

"I'll call the room," she offered.

"Thank you," he said, still vexed.

"Hello. I'm here to visit Richard Gilmore," a male voice said on Jess' back addressing to the nurse. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. "I'm the father," he explained with a cocky smirk.

Jess looked at the other man, who turned his body so they could be face to face. Neither said anything. The nurse gave the blond man a visitor's card and he disappeared through the hallway. He knew it shouldn't, but it made him angry and depressed to see that man be able to walk through that door while he was stopped at the invisible barrier in the form of a small angry woman with an outdated computer. Luke noticed his nephew's expression and called him to sit in the waiting room again.

Rory had received the call, so when the door opened she figured it would be him. She turned around with a smile and she couldn't hide her surprise when the eyes that met hers weren't the ones she had imagined.

"Thanks for the warm welcome," Logan said harshly. "Hello, Lorelai."

The older woman responded with an awkward wave and excused herself to leave.

"I'm sorry," Rory replied lowering her head. "I didn't expect you, that's all."

"I know who you were expecting," he scoffed. He sat on the chair previously occupied by Lorelai and kissed his son on the forehead. "Hello, champ. How are you holding on?" The boy was sleeping heavily.

"Then why didn't he come in?" She asked getting closer to the bed again. Her right hand holding her son's arm.

"It's not visiting hours and he's not a relative," Logan shrugged.

Rory let her mouth drop for a few seconds before closing it and exhaling heavily. "I know for a fact that your family donates a lot of money to this hospital, Logan. I bet you didn't even have to give them your name for them to let you in. I'm sure you could've pulled some strings if you wanted to."

"Exactly," he smirked, only glancing at Rory, but keeping his attention on the boy.

Rory rolled her eyes as she walked out of the room. She found Jess sitting in the waiting room with Luke and Lorelai each by his side. He was talking to her mother but she couldn't figure what they were saying and by the time she got close enough he noticed her presence and stood up;

"Thank you for coming," she said wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a short kiss.

"I'm sorry I couldn't go in," he replied. She looked at him apologetically but didn't know what to say. He took her by the hand and they walked away from the waiting room to a more private area.

"I love you, Jess," she confessed after they kissed again, this time a little longer.

"Will you marry me, Rory?" He asked nervously. He looked at her, he could see her opening her mouth as her eyes grew bigger.

"Yes."

"I know, this is not the best way to ask this and you probably are not thinking about this right now, but I hated not being able to go in there. I don't want to miss out on anything again."

"Jess!" She called him, and he looked at her confused. "I already said yes," she said feeling a sudden urge to laugh.

"You did?"

"I don't want you to miss out on anything either," she explained with a wide smile. She saw him smiling back at her before he pulled her closer to give her one more kiss.

* * *

 **A.N.: Yay! So, finally it's over. This was actually written for a long time but I didn't post it because I recently found out that they removed this whole "only relatives" law in the whole United States. But I decided to post it anyway, and maybe if this was set in the present, it would be weird, but hey, this is in the future, who knows what crazy stuff will happen then. So, I went with it anyway, I thought it was a good enough reason for Jess to finally take the courage to take their relationship a step further. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I loved writing it. And I would love even more to read your thoughts on it. Also, hopefully soon I'll be posting chapters of The Girls That He Liked, so if you like my stories, stay tuned for that. I hope to see you all again soon and thanks for taking your time to read this.**


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